Lawmakers in Ukraine’s parliament are expected to soon be debating a draft law against the spreading of “homosexual propaganda” among minors.

Parliament announced on June 19 that a draft on the subject had been submitted by deputies of the ruling Party of Regions.

In its current form, the legislation would impose fines of up to 11,900 hryvnyas, or around $1,500, for spreading “homosexual propaganda” to people under 18. …

The measure has been criticized for giving authorities the potential power to ban public demonstrations by embattled gay and transgender communities.

The Russian city of St. Petersburg enacted a similar law in February. Such bans — which outlaw gay pride parades and demonstrations — are also in effect in the Arkhangelsk region northeast of St. Petersburg (adopted last September), the Kostroma region northeast of Moscow (adopted in December), the Ryanzan region southeast of Moscow (adopted in 2006) and in the Siberian region (adopted in April).

Similar suggestions have been made in the Russian parliament, for the city of Moscow, and in the Eastern European countries Moldova, Lithuania and Hungary.